NATURE CLICKS #615 - CAROLINA WREN

Carolina Wren, Little Maquoketa Valley, Eastern Iowa

At this time of the year the birds are pretty quiet, they are not singing, but still communicate with chirps and chatter. We are very fortunate to have a pair of Carolina Wrens around here and the male performs sometimes his beautiful song. This can happen early in the morning, right next to the bedroom window, and it is nice to start the day like that. The Carolina Wrens are often in the underbrush or on the ground and it is not easy to get them in front of the lens. Sometimes I can hear them chattering together but hardly see them out in the open. Today I was lucky and the male showed some interest for one of our suet feeders that are provided for the woodpeckers and nuthatches. I was able to make a few clicks and I’m happy to share a picture with you.

Nikon Z6 III, Nikon NIKKOR Z 600 f/6.3 VR S, Nikon Z TC-1.4x, Benro MSDPL46C SupaDupa Monopod, Monopod Gimbal Head    @ 840mm, 1/1000s, f/9, ISO 3200, image cropped

NOISY GANG

I realized the chirping noise coming from one of the nest boxes in our front yard is a lot louder than usual as soon the first light of the day appears early in the morning. It’s the place where the House Wrens currently feed their second brood. Well, both nest chambers, first and second floor, have a nest and it looks like that two females and one male House Wren feed the offspring in both nests. As my photo proofs, the size of the meals gets quite big already and pretty soon it will be quiet around here again. 

We had wrens nesting every summer since Joan and I lived here. Providing opportunities to built a nest became mandatory for us and we have never been disappointed yet. It is a wonderful way to enrich your life! The House Wrens eat insects, lots of them, but there is not much we can do to support these efforts. Hanging nest boxes around our house has helped to make some birds coming back here after the winter every year. Each species that may use a bird house may have different requirements regarding the size of the box or how big the diameter of the hole has to be. Have a look what is in your backyard or on your balcony, study about the birds you see, and draw your conclusions. It’s easy, you can do that too!!